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Friday, January 30, 2009

Crock pots are handy,Children are fun,I hope that this birthday,Is a wonderful one!

-MusicMommy3

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue,But arises this flower of another hue;Petals of passion, achievement and grace,Why, beauty within shines from her face.Thirty-five, still blooming,New buds swell from the stem;Kyle’s love is consuming,He’s just glad he’s him…

-Don

If she’d been born a Mary AnnWould her hair be black as night?A blue-tressed Violet, chestnut JillAn Albino’s head of white?

If her folks took Buffy home that dayShe might be blonde insteadBut she was born a GingerAnd thus her hair is red

-Phil

Roses are red; violets are yellowNo one has said my firstborn is mellowSqueezes life from a dime; expects me to rhymeBuys rice in bulk; loves her incredible hulkWashes no dishes, but offers good wishesBlogs her opinions while homeschooling her minionsCuts her own hair and has skin so fairMothering her way to fame; Ginger’s her name.

-Nancy

Roses are Red, so is Ginger’s hair,Violets are Blue, like her eyes.Sugar is Sweet, like her Spirit and Smile,She’s creative and funny and wise.

Of Children, so far, she has seven,But her ministry reaches so far,To count all she’s reached, when in Heaven,You would have to number the stars.

-Angela

Roses are red,Violets are blue.If my nose was running money,I'd blow it all on you.

If I were a wealthy dad,I'd buy you anything that's hot.If my nose was running money,but it's not.

-Dad

Roses are redTheir leaves are greenI've been blessed by your familyThe Clarks make a great team.

Sugar is sweetBut bears like honeyI learn so much from your postsAnd your style is so funny.

-Susie

Roses are redViolets are blueWhatever Ginger saysIs what you should doBecause she believes with all her mightThat what she thinks is always rightOf course, for G it must have been fateBecause for us it's a family trait!

-Jamie

Roses are red, begonias are tooWith Ginger as MommyThe kids know what they should doPlay fun games, avoid sibling fightsThere's never boredom if the family size is rightIf anyone is sick, it's herbs to the rescueI'm a fan of Clark Chatterand I bet you are too!

-Heather

The worker from the CPSCame calling at the doorFound seven kids engrossed in booksAnd lounging on the floor

When asked the teacher’s name by him,Charlotte Mason they all said.I’ve heard she’s tough. But, I didn’t knowthat Charlotte’s hair was red.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Normally, I take one child and we run our grocery errands at night after dinner. It's quality time with that child and we talk a lot, especially about our special memories together. I don't enjoy grocery shopping at all, but I do enjoy the quality time together.

Well, recently, due to poor planning and procrastination, I've had twice when I needed to go grocery shopping during the day, which means all the kids go with me. I was gearing up for it the way you'd prepare for an ice storm. That is, I was dreading it. As it turns out, it was just fine. It makes a huge difference when your youngest are 3 years old, apparently. They were much better at following the rules and having good attitudes. (Lydia did throw 3 fits, I should mention, but I was able to talk her out of it and we kept going. We didn't have to leave the store & start over, thank goodness!) We went to Sprout's, WalMart, and the bakery. We had 30+ grocery bags when it was all over. Thankfully, I have 6 able helpers to get it all put away in record time.

We're not going to fit into our retro-fitted minivan much longer. For now, we have skinny kids and it works. But there may come a time when we'll need to seat more than just six kids. ;)

Monday, January 26, 2009

I've received several poems already and I must say they make my day. Thank you guys so much! I wanted to share the verse of the creative genuis known simply as Phil. Unfortunately he didn't follow the contest rules at all. In light of the fact that his poem was disqualified, I will publish it here instead, for your amusement.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Twice a year, we have a big birthday bash- the Spring Fling and the Fall Fest. Between my sister's family and mine, we celebrate all the spring birthdays at one, and all the fall birthdays at the other. After the first year of doing birthdays this way, Kyle felt that we needed to somehow celebrate the birthday kid's special day other than just saying: "Happy Birthday!!" So we started this new tradition: on their special day, the birthday kid gets to choose one friend to celebrate with. We give them a choice: Chuck E Cheese or Jump Town. Elena vaccilated for several months about where she wanted to go and who she wanted to go with. In the end, she chose her best friend, Sophie, my friend Gretchen's daughter.Sophie is a year younger than Elena. My blondies are short, I tell ya!

So, after spending a little over $30 for this experience, which the girls were tired of after 20 minutes (girls don't like to sweat apparently), I decided this tradition needed some revising.

After we'd been there for 45 minutes, with me encouraging them to "go back and play" several times, Sophie asked Elena: "Can we go back to your house to play?"

That confirmed my plan. Next time around, the birthday kid will decided who they want to spend the day with and they can play together all day at our house (or the park) and we'll take the two out to eat somewhere fun. Less cost, which you know I love, and more quality time together. I wish I'd thought of it a year ago!

I know you've all been counting the days til my Birthday Poetry Contest. Well, your patience will soon be rewarded. My birthday is 10 days away and this year's poetry theme is"Roses are Red, Violets are Blue". For all of you rhyming enthusiasts, this is your moment to shine.

Write a short poem (8 lines max) about yours truly, who shall very soon be 35!! Email your poems to me here. On my birthday (January 30th for you who are still in your robes with coffee in hand), I'll publish all the poems and you'll vote for your favorite. The winning poet will win a prize.

Friday, January 16, 2009

At one of my Charlotte Mason book club meetings, we talked about the concept of "solitary time". I was intrigued and started to implement it right away. Here's how it works:

Once a day, ideally, I tell the kids to each get 3 things to play with. Then I give them their own space and set the timer for 20 minutes. The idea is for them to learn to play independently and entertain themselves. (This is something that must be taught when you're in a big family.) While they are playing quietly, I sit down at the dining room table, facing them, and have my Bible study. I must say, it's fantastic! They are learning an important skill and I'm getting quiet time in the middle of the day.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Generally, when I get frustrated with my kids, it's due to false expectations. Either I'm expecting them to act like little adults, or my expectations are not developmentally appropriate. I've learned the value of scripts in child training.

For instance, Lydia threw a fit when I gave her a cookie, because she was hoping for two cookies. So I took the cookie away, and said: "That's fine, if you don't want a cookie, you don't have to have it." Then she whined: "Hey, that's my cookie!!" So I said, in a pleasant voice (because that's how I want her to say it), "Mommy, I changed my mind. May I have my cookie back please?"

Because I gave her that script, I didn't have to get frustrated when she kept whining and throwing fits. I told her how to get out of her predicament and she did, with grace.

When she was little and would whine to get what she wanted, I would give her the script: "More, please."

Scripts even work with older kids. I have noticed that Maya is a peacemaker. She doesn't like to argue, and as a result, she often gets run over. Elena likes to correct Maya. So, when Elena corrected Maya and Maya didn't respond, I wasn't sure how to handle it. After all, it didn't result in any kind of fight or argument.

Now, when Elena corrects Maya, I model: "Elena, that's not nice. I don't like it when you correct me." Maya is learning how to be assertive and stand up for herself without being rude. I do the same thing for Isaac. He loves it when Kyle rough-houses with him, until a point. But when he reaches that point, he shuts down. He doesn't know how to express himself to get what he wants. When I see that Isaac has had enough, I model: "Stop, daddy. I've had enough." And to get Isaac in a laughing mood again, I'll usually throw in a few extras, like: "I've had enough of this, buffalo breath!" or "Stop, daddy, you big lummox!" We Clarks enjoy a little name-calling sometimes.

Monday, January 12, 2009

I've had a coupon for a free shmear at Einstein's Bagels that's been burning a hole in my pocket (sorta speak) since Christmas. Saturday, I was running a bunch of errands and just happened to be in the area of the Einstein's (because I planned it that way) . I stopped in and was immediately greeted by an old friend. As we caught up, I learned that his wife works over an hour away and works 70-80 hours weeks. They have three children at home. I asked, "How does she do that?" He said it's really hard and they hardly see her. Then he somewhat sheepishly added, "Well, once you get used to the money, it's hard to quit."I know what he means. If I chose to go back to work full-time, we would more than double our income. We would be able to do a lot more and buy a lot more. It was so sad to hear him so honestly say that money is more important to them than time spent together as a family.